National Guard of Georgia

საქართველოს ეროვნული გვარდია
sak’art’velos erovnuli gvardia
National Guard of Georgia
Georgian National Guard flag and insignia
Active 20 December 1990 (1990-12-20)
Country Georgia
Role Responding to external threats, civil disturbances, and natural disasters; providing military assistance to civilian authorities in emergencies; mobilization of reserves
Size 554 personnel
Engagements Georgian Civil War, Georgian-Ossetian conflict, Georgian-Abkhaz conflict, Russian-Georgian war
Commanders
Current
commander		 Levan Gamkrelidze
Notable
commanders		 Tengiz Kitovani
Koba Kobaladze
Samson Kutateladze
Nikoloz Janjgava
Insignia
GNG shoulder insignia

The National Guard of Georgia (NG, Georgian: საქართველოს ეროვნული გვარდია, sak'art'velos erovnuli gvardia) is a military structure within the Georgian Armed Forces and has a department status within the Ministry of Defense. It is tasked with responding to external threats, civil disturbances, and natural disasters. The GNG is also responsible for the mobilization of reservists.[1]

History

The GNG was established on December 20, 1990 after President Zviad Gamsakhurdia ordered the creation of Georgian Armed Forces and held the first military parade on Boris Paichadze Stadium. Tengiz Kitovani was appointed as the head of GNG.

GNG was mainly manned by volunteers and more experienced Georgian officers who were serving in Soviet Armies at the time and returned to Georgia to serve in the newly created Georgian Army. Thus, it became the first national military formation in then-Soviet Georgia which would later provide the basis for the regular armed forces.[2]

Almost from its birth, the National Guard became directly involved in Georgian politics. In August 1991, soon after its foundation, the GNG was split between supporters of Gamsakhurdia and Kitovani. The split happened after Kitovani announced that the president was about to dissolve the National Guard. Kitovani and his supporters left the barracks and took up positions near Tbilisi. They joined Prime Minister Tengiz Sigua and the paramilitary leader Jaba Ioseliani during the Georgian Civil War which began in December 1991. The remaining parts of the GNG retained their loyalty towards Gamsakhurdia.[2]

Units of the National Guard were a major paramilitary force to have fought in the Georgian Civil War, South Ossetian and Abkhazian conflicts in the early 1990s.[3][4]

Modern Guard

Following US EUCOM recommendations, new roles, functions and structure were assigned to the National Guard. Since the 2000s, GNG does not include military units and is rather focused on reserve system and support of the civil government during crisis.[5] As of January 2007, the National Guard of Georgia consists of 554 veteran personnel[6] and is commanded by Brigadier Levan Gamkrelidze.[7]

Structure

The military band.

The National Guard of Georgia is composed of:[8]

Missions

The main missions of National Guard are:

  • Support civil government in crisis situations (natural, technological, ecological);
  • Register mobilization resources, study and deliver;
  • Convene, select and man of citizens on the basis of the agreement, for the units, subunits and bases of the Armed Forces;
  • Provide ceremonial activities through the Guard of Honour and the military band.[9][10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ National Military Strategy of Georgia Archived 2007-06-30 at the Wayback Machine., The Defense Ministry of Georgia. Retrieved on January 27, 2007.
  2. 1 2 http://www.tavisupleba.org/content/article/1550279.html
  3. ↑ Georgian National Guard, The Global Security website. Retrieved on January 27, 2007.
  4. ↑ http://geoarmylibrery.ucoz.net/publ/sakartvelos_erovnuli_gvardia/2-1-0-45
  5. ↑ History of The National Guard, Georgian National Guard.
  6. ↑ Georgian National Guard Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine., The Defense Ministry of Georgia. Retrieved on January 27, 2007.
  7. ↑ Leadership, Georgian National Guard.
  8. ↑ https://razm.info/ru/3777
  9. ↑ https://eadaily.com/ru/news/2017/08/07/v-gruzii-prostilis-s-32-m-po-schetu-pogibshim-v-afganistane-mirotvorcem
  10. ↑ https://m.sputnik-georgia.ru/politics/20151221/229548813.html?mobile_return=no
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